


Almost

by danslips



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, Post-Season 2, Steve babysits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-16 02:56:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14803028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danslips/pseuds/danslips
Summary: Billy Hargrove almost has an obsession with Steve Harrington – and apparently he's in luck, because it looks like Steve Harrington almost has an obsession on finding out what happens in that house.





	1. Steve Harrington has a lot to say

**Author's Note:**

> okay i have no fcking clue why i'm posting this, anyway i apologize for every grammar mistake: i'm italian i try my best k bye

Steve Harrington has a lot to say. He likes to tell his side of things to the kids, give advice and, to be honest, he also likes his voice in general. He was used to chat about serious things when he was drunk and about stupid things when he was sober – but the months with Nancy kinda changed him: he still talked _a lot_ , but he started to think more, to be more serious, to find the right words. Steve didn't actually remember how life felt, when he was the kids' age, but couldn't feel good; he cannot imagine with the stress about the Upside Down. So he tried to stay close to them with the only way he knew how: talking. But after the closure of the Gate, there was a lot of silence – and Steve wasn't used to silence. And then, after a while, everything came back to normal, without Nancy of course, and Steve learned how to appreciate the kids and started to organize little parties for them at his house. He learned to know Hopper (whom usually brought Mike and Max with him, other than El), the lovely Joyce, Lucas' mother and Dustin's mother, always with some sort of cake or cookies in her hands, or even money, to pay him as the “babysitter” for the night. Steve rejected the money every time. At the beginning Steve's parents were worried for the change in friendships that breaking up with Nancy brought, but they left him alone after Dustin's mother generous' gifts. 

Steve Harrington has a lot to say, but in that moment he couldn't find words. He couldn't find words because it was a Friday night, he was taking three out of the six kids home, and for a few days he didn't have to deal with seeing Billy Hargrove around. He couldn't find words because he was just telling Lucas about that time when, at a party, this girl threw up _so much that_ \- and then he had to stop. Lucas, Dustin and Will, who were in the car with him, screamed at Steve's sudden braking (Steve was sure someone screamed like a scared baby, and he was also sure that that someone was Dustin, but he pretended not to hear it). 

“Why the _fuck_ did you do that?!” yelled Dustin, with a pinker face than usual.

Steve couldn't speak. He still had the foot tense on the brake pedal, and it was starting to hurt. At the end, he didn't have to say anything, because they all saw him.

“What is he doing here?”

“Where's Max?”

“ _Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck_ ”

“Steve, do you see Max? Is she with him?”

“ _Get him Steve!_ ”

Steve puts the reverse gear. “I'm not _getting_ anyone, Dustin” murmured, the pride still a little bit unsteady after the fight at the Byers' house. He was sure that his braking had made some noise, but Billy Hargrove apparently didn't hear it. He kept smoking his cigarette, leaning on his black car, like that was his house. But that wasn't his house, that was Sinclairs'. And the only thing Steve could think in that moment, was that the bump on his head _just_ started to heal a few days earlier. When he was far enough that you couldn't see the car from the house, he parked on the side of the empty road, taking a deep breath. The other three kept quaking weird shit about killing the guy. 

“So” Steve started, but got no attention whatsoever. “I'm going, you are staying in the car. If I come back, _good_ ”. All three of them were staring at him now, finally quiet. He loved being dramatic when he was scared. “If I don't, call Hop”.

Dustin was the hardest one to convince ( _“But I wanna come with youu! Please!_ ”), but at the end fear had the best of him, and that was fine. Steve didn't exactly have a plan, but Max had promised to him that the Billy situation was under control, and that showed to be right until that moment. _What kind of stupid provocation was to park outside Lucas' house?_   
Billy noticed him when he was almost there. Steve saw him take a big hit from his cigarette, as in to take a little bit of patience, and then throwing it on the ground. After their fight at the Byers' house they didn't really see each other again, apart from a few hours of practice, where they didn't even look at each other. Steve made a mental note to thank Max again, for the fifth time. 

“Why are you here?”

Billy walked slightly away from his car, to come closer to Steve. “Max is not home”

Steve didn't really know what to expect, but he certainly didn't expect that answer. Hop had brought El and Max home almost an entire half an hour before Steve and the other guys actually left the house, because Max had curfew, and Hop didn't live that far away. “That's weird” was everything Steve had managed to say. 

Billy raised his eyebrows. “So, I'm going to say that to her mother when she comes home?”

“Listen, a cop brought her home” and yes, Steve may have said that to scare him a little. “I'm sure she'll be back”

“Is he also going to arrest your _pedo-ass_ ?” 

Steve had to breath deeply before answering. “Leave”

“I would love to,” Billy had that evil smile on his face, Stave wanted to punch it so bad-- “but I can't. Where does this supposed cop lives?” 

He sighed. “Go back home, she's probably there now. I'll bring the guys home and then go to his house. Alright?”

Billy looked convinced, even if Steve saw him searching for the car and the kids with his eyes. “Bye” he said, getting back in his car. But, before starting the engine, he waited to witness Steve leaving. Billy can't help but think if girls actually find him hotter than he is. Probably not.

“Did you get him?”

“ _I didn't get anyone_ , Dustin”

Steve always left Dustin last, when he had to drop the kids home. Between every kid, he was the was he could talk to the most, and also the one that cared for him the most. 

“You could totally beat his ass”

“And you even had the live proof that that is a lie”

“ _Nah_. That was just a stressful day”

 

When Steve went to Hopper, he didn't have many expectations. For a moment, the fact that Max wasn't home, scared him: he immediately thought about the Upside Down. But then his rational side kicked in: with a step brother like Billy, he probably wouldn't want to come home either. Not to mention that there were a lot of rumors going around, at school. At the beginning, when Billy started to go to school with some bruises, people just brushed it off with “he's a bad guy”, and they associated him with some local fight in some weird bar that was on the papers. But the people started to come up, saying that _no_ , he wasn't in _that_ fight, he wasn't even in _that_ bar!, so things started to get interesting. Even that asshole Tommy said that Billy, in certain occasions, couldn't been in any fight, because he was at home all day. So, people started to notice small things, like his knuckles: Billy never had them bruised, and that was not in character for him. How can Billy Hargrove get beaten up or get his nose broken, without him even attacking back? Maybe _a girl_ punched him? As a result, everyone was looking for this girl that allegedly attacked Billy Hagrove.   
Honestly, Steve had an idea on what those bruises were. Max never wanted to come home, and at the beginning he didn't really pay attention to him, because D&D is a game that you certainly don't want to stop playing. But then one day he heard Max say to Lucas that she hated his step-father, and that thought haunted Steve for days. Every time he saw her, he was looking for small bruises, little clues, but never found anything. It was very likely that Billy was used to take it from his father, who knows since when. Maybe since he was a kid.  
When he arrived at Hopper's house, he didn't even had the time to park that Max came outside, followed by Hopper, with his tired eyes. Max reached the car quickly. 

“Your brother was looking for you” he immediately said, before she could say anything else. Steve saw her mouthing “ _what a prick_ ” and looking at the sky.

“It's better if I go home”. She was incredibly sad. 

Hop joined the conversation. “I'll bring you. I'll figure something out with your parents, I don't want you to get in trouble for me”

“My parents are not home yet” explained Max. “Also, I don't want you to leave Jane alone”

“Hop, I'll bring her” offered Steve, explaining the encounter had earlier, while Max jumped in the car and got her belt tight. 

“What is the name of the boy, again?” asked Hopper, focused. 

Max found incredibly difficult not to reply “ _Asshole_ ”. “Billy”, she answered instead.

Jane hadn't feel well: on the way home from D&D night at Steve's, she puked. When a child is sick, everyone is worried and it's a little bit traumatic, of course; but when a child that brings signals from another world is sick, it's fucking chaos. Jane had asked Max to go home with her – which warmed Steve heart – but one inside, she puked again, so Max wanted to stay with her for a bit. Sure, it could have been just a simple virus, but who wants to be optimistic in this life?

“Billy was outside Lucas' house” Steve forgot to mention that. 

Max sighed. “He's not even that bad, lately. We just ignore each other” she clarified instantly, after seeing Steve's questioning look. “that's positive to me”. Once arrived to her house, Steve stopped the car. 

“Do you want me to get out with you?”

“No, thank you”

But as soon as Max opened the car door, Steve felt the need to stop her. 

“Wait” he said. Max kept looking at him, waiting, a little bit surprise because they had an entire car ride to talk. “Listen” Steve started, without actually knowing fully how to say anything else. “There are a lot of rumors at school about you two” Steve hoped she'd got it, but no. So he changed his tactic. “Is there someone hurting you in that house?”

In a moment like that, a thirteen years old should have no idea what you are talking about, should laugh even, maybe. She shouldn't known what to reply. But Max stayed quiet for a bit, with her hand still on the car door, looking at Steve with her light, light eyes, with her red her more in contrast now than ever. 

“Nobody hurts _me_ ” she said, and left. 

And Steve understood.


	2. or maybe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for the kudos and the comments in the first chapter! hope you like this one. if you eant to talk, im @ danslips on twitter, tumblr and instagram

Chapter 2. or maybe

 

The girl had puffy and red eyes, with the blue eyeshadow a little off. She was very, very attractive. Billy looked at her with half-closed eyes, while they are both trying to get their clothes off. From that bedroom they could still hear the music at the party that was going on downstairs: Billy had to drive fifteen minutes to find a decent party in this shithole that was Hawkins. He didn't actually planned on fucking that night, but as soon as they saw each other at the party, they realized they've met a school before, a couple of times. They started drinking and talking, and the girl almost ruined everything saying “people at school say that you've beaten Steve Harrington's ass”. Even when he's trying to _fuck_ , people have to mention that guy? He didn't reply, tempted to leave her like that and find someone else, but then she bent over and _holy shit_.  
A lot of rumors started to go around when Steve presented himself to school with his face destroyed – the (right) version that Billy had done it was just one of many. Blly kinda hoped that people started to talk about something else now, because it was getting boring, and now that the Christmas holiday had begun, it was a big change for it to finally happen.   
The girl took off her flowery dress while he was trying to unbutton his jeans, with his back on the wall, still looking at her. But something came up in his head.

“Did you fuck him?”

“What?”

“ _Harrington_ ”. Billy had a raspy, serious voice, and his boner against the cloth of his boxers and his jeans was starting to hurt. 

The girl looked at him, confused for a few seconds, before understanding what he was asking. He smiled, to tease him, which made Billy go furious. “Why?”

Billy brought her closer to his face, with his hand under her chin. He knew he looked scary and dominant, and that's what she needed to understand before anything else happened. “Tell me I'm better than him”

The girl smiled even more widely, looking straight in his eyes, and brought her hands on the buttons of his jeans. “You are hot” she said, unbuttoning the first one. “But no one beats Steve Harrington”.

Two seconds of total silence passed, while Billy bite his tongue, feeling a few drops of blood in his mouth. _This bitch_ , he thought. He moved her hands away violently, bringing his unbuttoned jeans down and pushing her on the bed. She kept laughing with her mouth open, happy that she got him mad. Billy knew she probably said that to get him worked up, but he still fucked her with every drop of energy he had, not even enjoying it that much, just so she could change her mind. When he made her come, he had a hand pulling her hair and her nails scratching his back. He didn't know how Harrington fucked, but he couldn't do better than that. He left a bite on her neck and shortly after a big hickey. Certainly, Harrington would have been less aggressive, he probably also had her stay on top like a true gentleman, he even probably came in ten minutes. Maybe a little bit more, but not so much. Billy had his silouette in mind: tall, lean, a few muscles here and there but nothing special. He always had these _tight jeans_ – 

“Where do you wanna come?”

Billy stopped for a moment to look at her. He was thinking about Harrington coming inside of her. 

“Wherever the fuck you want”

On the way back to his house Billy noticed he still had his jeans unbuttoned. He was driving way to fast even for his standards, with his second cigarette between his lips, still not lighted. He didn't really know why that bothered him so much, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. “ _No one beats Steve Harrington_ ”. Did he came inside of her? Probably not, he was a pussy. He had Steve's red, sweaty face, from the basketball practices, stuck in his head. He also kept thinking about the day before, when Billy noticed with the corner of his eye, that he was growing chest hair, and that irritated him a lot for some reason. _Fuck her_ , he thought. _And fuck Steve Harrington_.  
When he arrived home it was almost 2am, and he found the entire house in the dark, except for Max, sat in the kitchen, with a glass of milk in her hands. She looked towards the door to see who was it, but as soon as she saw Billy she went back to her milk - it looked like Billy interrupted some deep, intense thinking. After that little bitch drugged him, they barely talked to each other. Billy kept bringing her to school and to her stupid friends because his father made him, but the car rides were very silent, silence broke with a few insults to time in time. The maximum they reached was during breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, with some “pass me the salt, please” under the eyes of his father. Now, with the Christmas break and Susan at home for work, it wasn't his job to bring her places for a while.

Billy went to get a glass of water and Max ignored him completely. “'Night stupid brat”

“Choke on your water, asshole”

 

Three days went by after that party and that fuck, and Christmas was finally over. Billy could not stand it at all. Three days went by before Billy could find another good party to go to. He didn't really like going out with Tommy and the others that much, also Billy wanted to fuck again – because he felt incredibly horny for some reason. Billy could manage to look older sometimes and get some adults, but with a group of seventeen years old by his side, nobody would've even looked at him. Tommy was useful when he wanted to get high.   
Not even five minutes went by that Billy already hated the place, full of sweaty awful dressed hippies, so he tried to fix everything with all the alcohol he could find in the room. But the night was supposed to go wrong, apparently: it was full of seventeen years old from his high school. Billy wanted to leave but he knew that his alternative was his shitty bed in his shitty house. So he kept drinking. After the alcohol affected his head, he noticed a blonde, tall girl looking at him on the other side of the big crowed room. She had puffy, wavy hair, as a grown woman does, and Billy didn't think twice about trying to reach her.   
A fight started when he was half-way through the room: two of the few young adults of the party started to punch a guy that Billy was sure played basketball with him. Some other guys went in to defend him, and the it was just chaos. Between drunks or friends, no one really knew who they were punching, meanwhile the blonde had disappeared. _Well,_ he tought, _if I can't fuck_... Billy jumped in on the fun. Sometimes he yelled some weird shit, like “That was my friend, asshole!” hoping nobody would notice that he was enjoying himself a lot. He loved fights, he _loved pain_.  
When he heard sirens, he was about to go to the front door to leave, and almost bumped into Steve Harrington. He had a few drops of blood coming out of his nose and he was holding a guy by his arms, that looked like he wanted to kill someone. He was kinda bothered that that little nosebleed wasn't his fault, but the look totally suited him. Maybe it was the noise the sirens made that hurt his ears, maybe it was the broken lip, maybe it was the taste of blood in his mouth, _or maybe_ it was Steve Harrington with that pretty red, sweaty face; but Billy felt the blood rushing quickly down to his dick. As soon as Steve noticed him, he let the guy go – like he was ready to fight, if he had to – and gave him a steady look with his messy hair. 

They looked at each other, and Billy couldn't help but smile. “I like you raw like that”

Steve had no time to reply, because six cops came through the front door. The fist one, who looked like the chief, was a big man with hooded eyes and bags under them. When he saw Steve, he frowned his forehead and shrugged.   
Billy looked around the room: maybe fifteen people had stayed. He had no idea how did the other ones escape, but he envied them a lot. 

The cops had to take everybody's name and take them all down to the station. Steve was the first to get his name written on a really professional bloc notes by someone who looked like he was the new guy, and then he headed to the chief's car. Billy had a feeling they knew each other. So, not only Harrington senior had a lot of money, but apparently he also had a lot of friends. When it was Billy's turn, he thought about lying and give a false name, but then decided that it was too dangerous. 

At the sound of his name, the chief looked at him with the same cold and tired eyes he gave to Steve. “Get in my car”

Billy looked around to see if anyone knew what was going on, but followed him in the car without asking any question. While he was getting inside the chief's car, where Steve was still bleeding a little from his nose, he just hoped Susan would be the one the answer the phone first. Or Max, even. The car ride was painfully silent. Billy didn't dare to talk to Steve, who, on the other hand, looked like he was in another planet with his mind. Only when Hopper parked, the both of them realized that they weren't at the police station.

Hopper had brought them to his house. None of them had any idea of why. He left them there in his kitchen, and then went to the attic to “check some shit”. The two of them didn't say a word to each other. Billy was looking around in the room, trying to get some useful info, when a creepy girl appeared out of nowhere.

“Who's this kid?”

“Nobody” said instinctively Steve – but then seemed to rethink his words. “No, _mh._ She's Hopper's daugther”

“Well, she doesn't fucking look like him” Billy looked at her again. She was very quiet, Billy couldn't help but think that she was probably Max's age, just way more silent and creepier. “She's thin.”

The little girl kept looking straight into Billy's eyes, a bit confused. “ _Fucking_?”

“Noooo, don't say that”

Billy was shocked. _What a creepy fucking kid._ “Is she ok?”

“I'm ok”

And then silence.

 

Hopper came back after a couple of minutes, in which Billy didn't stop watching the girl for half a second. It was clear that that kid had something wrong, and he didn't trust her enough to look away. She was sitting on the couch, with her knees wrapped in her arms, looking around.

When Hopper saw her he seemed to sweeten up a bit. “You can go to bed if you want”. The girl shook her head in a 'no', so he kept going. “Can I know the motif of the fight?”

Steve replied – and Billy was almost grateful. “Something about girls, I think. I got a punch out of nowhere and I tried to defend some guys I know--” 

“Listen, this time you are both safe. One” and pointed at Steve “because I know him, and he's not an asshole” Billy noticed that he mumbled the word 'asshole' not to be heard by his kid. So she was in the peacock phase? “and two” and pointed at Billy “because you are Max's brother. Even if I doubt immensely that she would want to give you a free pass” Hopper had a tone in his voice that made Billy's blood boil. _I don't give a shit about her stupid friends and their favors_ \- “But I have some documents about your dad upstairs.” At those words, Billy thought he was dead, because he was sure he heard his heart miss more than three beats. Could your heart stop for five seconds and then keep going like nothing happened? Could a person keep living after someone finds out that your dad beats you up? “I don't care if you are frustrated, angry, sad, but Max deserves better. I'm going to do everything I can to get her out of that house, but for now I cannot do anything.”

Billy felt like throwing up. He knew that Steve heard every word – hell, even the kid heard every word. “Shut up” left his mouth like a hiss. No one had to hear more of that.

Hopper seemed to understand his anger, and got up from his chair as he was about to leave. “You know how many people I've seen like you? I do nothing with your shame”

Billy stayed quiet. _You know how many people I've seen like you?_

“Hop” Steve called him, and for some reason his voice was probably more unbearable than the cop's. “They won't ask question about why they are missing two people at the station?”

“I'll make up some fucking shit”  
“  
“Fucking?” the girl repeated.

“No, no fucking”

And then silence again.

 

Billy didn't say a word for the entire trip going back. Steve couldn't help but notice how he was different, even on the outside, then the other time they met each other. He looked hurt inside, where he keeps the pride.   
Hopper brought the both of them at their house. At this point, Billy wasn't surprised he knew where he lived without having to give him instructions. “The files that you have must come with an address”, he said. Hopper didn't reply, but glanced in the mirror just in time to see Billy's eyes looking at him; Steve, on the other hand, had his shoulders completely tense. He had it like that after the conversation at Hopper's house.  
When arrived at Billy's house, he left the car mumbling a soft “thanks”, but the door closing almost covered it. _Almost,_ because someone inside hear it.

**Author's Note:**

> all the chapters are already written, if you want to tell me what you thought about this mess you can write a tweet @ danslips or dm me on instagram @ danslips im v v v friendly


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